On Thursday, police cars and first responders flooded Third Avenue, moments after 30-year-old Samuel Charles Waisbren was crushed in an elevator, reports CBS2’s Jessica Moore.

“Sam was, you know, a wonderful young man,” said father Charles Waisbren.

The senior Waisbren says his heartbreak is almost more than he can bear.

“I’m just devastated in that he won’t be able to have children, father a child and grow up and enjoy life,” he said. “We’re just we’re just devastated.”

Sam Waisbren (credit: Waisbren family)

Sam Waisbren was killed at his apartment building in Kips Bay. The Wisconsin native was on his way to work at a software company when the elevator suddenly dropped, crushing him as he was pinned between the elevator car and a wall.

“I knew they had problems in the elevator before but I didn’t know it was going to be this serious,” said pizzeria manager Mohamed Hammouda.

Building residents say they’ve had problems with building’s elevators for months.

“Breaks down and they have to replace parts, that’s been a continual problem with these elevators,” said Steve Ukman.

The building at 344 Third Avenue has an open violation for an elevator issue dating back to May. It showed part of the elevator was tampered with, disabled and rendered inoperative.

Building managers were fined, but it appears the issue was never resolved – and now neighbors are livid.

Thursday afternoon, the building’s super refused to answer questions about the faulty elevators and even tried to stop CBS2 from interviewing residents.

Charles Waisbren says someone needs to get to the bottom of what happened, calling the building’s negligence criminal.

“For them to actually kill my son, you know?” he said. “It was a disregard for elevator repair. You know, it’s just… I’m just devastated by it.”

“You know, you just don’t know how you’re going go, live any longer, how you can enjoy life,” he said.

The NYC Department of Buildings is investigating the malfunction.

City records show there have been 16 elevator violations in that building since 2003, but all had been dismissed.